Unbroken
by Lunatastic
Summary: Rose Weasley has secrets. A few more than a normal person does. And there are small quirks that come along with those secrets. Quirks that sometimes don't seem so small to people other than Rose. Those people just happen to include Scorpius Malfoy.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N**** Hey guys! Wow, I'm super excited at starting this story, I'm hoping that it'll be a good one. Happy reading!**

**~Lunatastic**

* * *

"Rose, get your ass outta bed! We're are going to me so damn late! Shit, shit, _shit_!" Melissa scurried around the dorm room that I shared with her and three other girls at Hogwarts. Her cropped brown hair was sticking up in calicks all over her head and she had both of her shoes on the wrong feet. "Do you see my glasses anywhere?" Her glasses, in fact, were peeking out from the tangled mess that was on top of her head. I couldn't help it. I burst out laughing. "Rose! What is _wrong_ with you?! It's only the fifth day of the year and we're already going to be late for Transfiguration!" She threw her arms up in the air in exclamation.

Once I could stop long enough to wipe the laughter-induced tears from my eyes, I tried to talk to her. "You," I took one deep breath to stop any excess giggles from escaping from my mouth. "You missed one crucial fact." I said, then let the giggles continue.

She looked around the room in a panicked frenzy, picking things up and searching under them for something that could cure her panic-attack. Finally she just whipped around and started shouting at me. "WHAT! WHAT DID I MISS?!"

"You missed the fact that it's _satur-freaking-day_!" Zara stomped out of her four-poster and headed for the bathroom, slamming the door behind her. I just hoped that she wouldn't set the shower curtains on fire like the last time she was in a bad mood. Apparently, Finnigan's had a knack for setting things ablaze.

Melissa's eyes widened with guilt and terror at her sister's anger. "Tell me she's lying." Melissa had a bit of a... habit for this. On a scale of one to bad, her memory was horrifying. Obviously.

"Unfortunately, or actually, fortunately, it is "satur-freaking-day." I shouted the last part, purposely getting on Zara's nerves. To my great delight, a growl could be heard from behind the bathroom door. "She is such an _animal_ in the morning." I shouted again in mock anger. I sighed when Zara didn't rise to the bait.

"I don't even know why you put up with us in the morning Rose. You could be sleeping in your own dormitory, miss Head Girl." Dominique teased as she stretched her arms above her head lazily.

"Oh, shut it." I lobbed a pillow at her head, hitting her smack in the face.

"If I wasn't still half-asleep, I would sooo be hexing you right now. Fortunately for you, I can't actually remember any good hexes at the moment." She yawned as she finished. "I still don't even know why you won't just sleep in your fancy-pants dorm."

"You know I don't like sleeping alone." I crossed my arms defensively and blew a curl out of my face. Of course, no one knew why I didn't like to sleep alone, but my friends were supposed to accept my quirks, however annoying they may be.

"Yeah, Rosie, we know. But you wouldn't be sleeping all alone. You could always shack up with Malfoy for a night." Dom said, wiggling her eyebrows suggestively. "And it's only at Hogwarts that you have to have someone sleeping in the same room as you. At home, you're fine." I didn't get to respond to that before Zara traipsed back into the room, toothbrush sticking out of her mouth and her mood seemingly okay-ish.

"Speaking of Malfoy, doesn't he ever get annoyed with having to wander around the castle to find you for Heads' stuff instead of being able to knock on your door?"

"Sometimes." I grumbled. That was, in fact, a complete understatement.

"Are you kidding?! I heard them going at it in middle of the hall yesterday! He was _ticked off_." At Melissa's shrieking, Cassandra finally startled awake.

"Whattimeisit?" She mumbled.

"Nine o' clock on a Satur-freaking-day." I responded, shooting Zara a smile. She stuck her toothpaste covered tongue out at me.

"Why are we up so early?" She wailed, though in my opinion it wasn't that early. Always the drama queen.

"Melissa had an episode." Zara answered. And with that, the subject of my sleeping arrangements was dropped.

"I'm going to go shower. I'll meet you guys at breakfast." I said and headed towards the Gryffindor common room.

"Oh, sure. Now she'll use the Heads dorms!"

* * *

When I stepped into the shower, I let everything wash away. I slumped against the cool tile, my shoulders drooping with weariness. I was tired of being questioned. The weight of lying to the people I loved the most was getting heavy. I thought that I could handle putting on the facade, of acting my way through each day as someone else. But I was at my breaking point. I felt a tear leak down my cheek through the spray, then scolded myself. I had to carry on with this, if only so no one else could be hurt.

The door opened and I jumped, immediately putting the mask back on. It had become a habit these past few months. "Who's there?"

"The Head Boy. Who else would it be?" Scorpius asked in his wow-how-did-you-ever-end-up-as-head-girl tone. I had already grown accustomed to it.

I automatically wrapped my arms over the bits I didn't want him to see. "What are you doing in here? Get out!"

"You apparently forgot that we share this bathroom, Weasley. I needed to brush my teeth." I could hear the smirk in his voice. I heard the faucet turn on and the sound of his toothbrush on his teeth.

I peeked out of the curtain that separated the shower from the rest of the bathroom, holding the plastic part against my chest. "Get out, Malfoy."

He looked over his shoulder at me, his lips covered in suds from his toothpaste. "How am I supposed to go down to breakfast without brushing my teeth?"

I obviously wasn't going to be able to shoo him out. "If you come within two feet of this curtain I will hex you while you sleep." With that, I dropped the curtain back into place and wrapped my arms tightly across my chest. I finally breathed out when he finished, thinking he would leave.

"I need to talk to you about your sleeping arrangments. I promise that I'll be civil."

"We already had a talk about it in the hall last night, remember? If you don't, I'm pretty sure one of the fifty students who saw us could bring you up to speed on this subject." Even if he was going to try to be civil, that didn't mean_ I_ had to be.

"You know that I need to able to talk to you or wake you up if there's an emergency! It's completely irresponsible for you to be sleeping in the Gryffindor Tower!" So much for his civility.

"You know that McGongall already said it was okay and that she could come get me if something went wrong! If you still have a problem, you can go and tick her off about it!"

"I shouldn't have to do that since you, as Head Girl should be able to see how bloody stupid you're being!"

I almost stepped out of the shower so I could slap him. I peeked back out of the shower instead. "Why can't you just let me do this?! If there is a real emergency, _which I doubt there will be_, and you for some damned reason can't get to me quick enough, then I'll move into my dorm room!"

"That shouldn't have to happen! You should already be there!" He pinched the bridge of his nose and took a deep breath. "What would you need to be sleeping here?"

I snorted. "I would need you to sleep in the same room as me. As if you'd ever want to do that." I let the curtain fall again.

"Okay then. Guess we'll be shacking up, Weasley."

I spluttered under the cascade of water. After I gained my shrieking abilities back, I did just that. "WHAT?!" My fear of sleeping in the same room as Malfoy almost trumped my fear of sleeping alone. Almost.

"If that's what it takes, then fine. I expect all of your things to be moved back in by tonight. See you later, Weasley." The bathroom door closed before I could scream my not-so-polite response. I did it anyway.

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**A/N**** Gah, I'm super excited that you're reading! I know that the chapter was on the shorter side, but I introduced quite a few characters that I'll be expanding on in the next few chapters, so they should be longer. And this chapter has a bit more dialogue that anything else I've ever written. A lot more actually. So I'm really hoping that you could review the story, specifically on the dialogue, since I've never been exceptional at that. You could tell me if the words between the characters flowed or it the words seemed natural for the character. I'd also appreciate any other constructive criticism that you have. Thank you so much for reading, I'll hopefully have the next chapter up soon. Love you all!**

**~Lunatastic**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N**** Thanks for reading guys! I hope you enjoy this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it. Happy reading.**

**~Lunatastic**

* * *

_Stupid bloody Malfoy_. Stab. _Always goes and ruins everything_. Stab. _He couldn't just leave me be!_ Stab. _Why is he so damn stubborn?!_ Stab, stab, stab.

"Rosie?" My head snapped up when I heard Melissa's timid voice.

"_What_?" Shit, I sounded scary.

"Just, erm, why are you mutilating your breakfast?" I glanced down at my plate. It closely resembled my mum's meatloaf special after it'd been through a food processor. I let the fork I'd been white-knuckling clatter onto the plate.

"It's just sexual tension. Rosie's got needs." Dominique mock whispered so that anyone sitting with five yards of us could probably hear.

Albus spluttered on his juice while I turned an unbecoming shade of red. Cursed Weasley genes. "I do _not_ have needs." I hissed vehemently, making a few more heads turn our direction. By then I most likely resembled an over-ripe tomato.

"You better not! I'm not above sending anyone to St. Mungos." Albus said, completely serious. "And I'll get Johnny boy over here to help me." He jerked a thumb towards Zara and Melissa's triplet, John.

"Happy to help, mate." He said, raising his glass and downing the contents.

"As if Aunt Ginny wouldn't kill you afterwards." I said, rolling my eyes.

"And I don't exactly want my favorite brother expelled, now do I?" Zara said, raising an eyebrow at John.

"My dear sister, I happen to be your only brother, but I'm glad I made the cut." He said, smiling widely. I went back to stabbing my food, imagining Malfoy's git face screaming in pain. I could be such a child. A weird, messed up child with emotional issues that a lot of people didn't know about.

Somehow, the topic of me was sufficiently dropped and I was able to continue to stab my scrambled mess of a plate in peace. Until I decided to look up. Straight into the eyes of Malfoy. He crooked a thumb towards the hallway and mouthed something that, unfortunately looked like "Talk. Now."

I mouthed back "Eat. Food." And brought my fork to my mouth. I had officially tasted something worse than mum's meatloaf. Grimacing, I turned away from him. The prospect of stabbing anything wasn't as fun anymore.

"Hey, Liam!" I tensed and gripped my fork tighter as Albus shouted his name. _Don't invite him to sit with us. Don't make room. There isn't room. No room, no more room._ I mentally begged Albus to let him sit with the other seventh year boys up the table from us. I knew in the back of my mind that there was a small possibilty of that, since they were best friends. _All you need to do is say hello. Just let him walk on by._ I looked up to see him wave back to Albus.

"Come sit, mate!" Albus waved him over with an arm, almost smacking me in the process. I felt my stomach drop and my heart skip a few beats. "Oh, sorry Rosie. Scooch over to make some room, would ya?"

"No, it's fine. I was just leaving." I stood up, spilling my juice in the process.

"Merlin, Rose! Where's the fire?" Zara asked jokingly.

"I-I have to take care of head stuff. Bye."

"But you've hardly eaten anything!"I turned and walked as quickly as I could, ignoring Mellisa and keeping my head down as he passed by.

"Hello, Rose." His voice only made my muscles coil tighter. The noise in the Great Hall changed. People's cutlery started to clatter more and bang loudly off people's plates. Glasses tinkled and seemed about to smash. Voices came and went in a roar. The sound of laughter from the tables was very raucous and became almost deafening.

I realized I still hadn't let go of my fork. I hoped I wouldn't have to put the practice I did on my breakfast to use. Tears sprung to my eyes as I kept walking. I could feel his lingering gaze even as I rounded the corner into the hallway.

_C'mon Rose, deep breaths. Deep breaths. In. Out. In. Out. You're okay, you're okay, you are going to be okay._ I clutched my fork to my chest, let it clatter to the floor, and groped for my wand before I remembered that I left it in the Heads' common room, sitting on the table, next to a few books I had already gathered from the library.

"You actually listened to me for once. Did hell freeze over?" _Oh, bollocks_. I kept walking while he followed behind me. "Weasley, I don't know where you think you're running off to, but we still need to arrange the patrol schedules for the next two weeks." As if that was the only thing we had to do. He wanted me to bring it up. Problem was, I barely had enough air to keep from blacking out, let alone talk about our impending move-in.

I clenched my fingers that were beginning to go numb and tried to speak. "Later." There, that was progress. His hand closed on my shoulder, stopping me. I knew he was saying something, but I couldn't make out anything through the pounding in my head. Was my chest ever supposed to hurt like this? My heart was trying to escape, to rip itself out of me. I felt a cold sweat bead on my forehead.

The walls and paintings began to swirl into a great grey mass and the pounding in my head had faded to a dull roar. All the feeling in my fingers was gone now and my palms weren't far behind. My vision filled with encroaching blackness._ I'm dying, oh Merlin, I'm dying. And I don't even get to die with someone I like. _

I tried to peel his hand off of my shoulder. He had to be stubborn and turn me around to face him. I could see his brow furrowed, his lips moving, forming words. I was just a little busy blacking out to say anything back.

* * *

I woke up in what was probably seconds later. My head was lolling and my legs were limp. An arm was in the crook of my knees and another was supporting my shoulders. I decided that I didn't like the feeling of being carried. Everything was still hazy.

"Put... down..." At least I had kind of, sort of, maybe, regained the ability to speak.

"You're going to the Hospital Wing. We'll get you checked out." I started shaking my head before he finished, which wasn't a good idea.

"No... no..." I shook my head and squirmed, futilely, to make him drop me.

"Fine, no Hospital Wing. I just better not find you dead in the bathroom later. Your family would have me put on trial for murder." I would've mumbled my agreement, but I was once again dead to the world.

* * *

I jolted awake. Panicking, I sat up and looked around me. Then, stupidly, I realized it was the Heads' common room. So he didn't take me to the Hospital Wing... I slumped back down on the couch and tried to make the dizziness in my head go away._ Wait, where's Malfoy? _I thought, not seeing or hearing him anywhere

I got up slowly, then rushed to the bathroom as bile rose in my throat. As usual, the bloody git had to choose the worst moment possible to find me. This time, it was while I was puking my guts into the toilet. Very unusually, he didn't make fun of me while I involuntarily made a fool of myself. Once the dry heaving and the initial humiliation were over, I stood, still a bit nauseous, to brush my teeth.

From where I was standing, I could see his reflection leaning against the door frame. We made eye contact. I looked down, busying myself with scavenging through the drawers for my toothbrush. Fortunately, I found them.

I had my toothbrush in one hand, toothpaste in the other. "What happened?" He asked. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, not ready to answer him.

I squeezed a dollop of paste onto the end of my brush. I turned the faucet on and let water run over the brush. Then I replied. "I don't know." My voice was quiet. Quieter than I though it would be.

I brought the brush to my mouth, cleaning my teeth the way my grandparents had taught me. I kept brushing. And brushing. And brushing. I'm sure you would've been able to see your reflection in my teeth by then. I finally worked up the nerve to empty my mouth so I could talk. I rinsed out the sink.

"Has it happened before?" He put his hands in his pockets and turned his head to the side.

I examined my pale, slightly sunken face before answering. "It's never been this bad. I've never blacked out." I turned around. I twiddled my thumbs. I looked up.

His expression changed into something that resembled concern. He crossed his arms, the lean muscles flexing through his emerald shirt. His blue eyes were piercing. I counted sixteen heartbeats before he spoke again. "Do you want to talk about it?" I can't remember anyone of the male persuasion ever asking me that question. Especially not one that had hated me an hour or four ago. I would've laughed, but it didn't seem appropriate in that moment.

"Are you going to make me... talk about it?" I lifted my chin, trying to seem less vulnerable. No way in hell was I going to spill my proverbial guts to Malfoy.

"No." He put his hands back in his pockets.

"Good." I twiddled my thumbs a bit longer. He moved to leave. "Malfoy?"

"Yeah?" He asked, still turned away from me.

"Thank you."

"No problem, Weasley" He shut the door behind him.

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**A/N**** For some reason the end of that chpater took me a while to write. I must've changed the last bit five or six times. Originally, I was going to have some of it from Scorpius' point of view, but it didn't seem right. Would you guys be interested in having some of Scorpius' POV? If you are, shoot me a review. I'd really appreciate feedback on this chapter, since I know it was a lot darker and had more drama that the last chapter. The last chapter was sort of fluff. Anyway I hope you guys liked this chapter and please leave a review. Reviews really do inspire me and make me update faster. I want to know that you are liking the story since I do have college essays and experimenting on my surroundings to do for my Bio major. I love writing, it's just that I don't have a lot of time to do it so I want to know that someone is appreciating what I'm putting into this. Until next time!**

**~Lunatastic**

**P.S Lookinig for a beta, for anyone who's interested. PM me if you are!**


	3. Chapter 3

**IMPORTANT AUTHOR'S NOTE! PLEASE READ!**

**A/N I didn't want to put a note at the bottom. I just wanted to leave you with the last words in the chapter. I felt as if an author's not would ruin the mood of the chapter. I am putting a trigger warning in for sexual assault/abuse. I am putting a break in the text just before the risky part starts. This is not a change of scene in the story. This chapter was difficult for me to write, if only for personal reasons. Please review after you read, this is a chapter with a very deep meaning to me. The reviews would mean so much. Thank you guys so much for reading.**

**~Lunatastic**

**P.S I'm enabling anon. reviews for any of you who don't have an account or don't want to log in to leave a review. If I recieve any anon. hate reviews, I'm shutting it down.**

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As soon as he left, I felt it. The all too familiar churn of guilt in the pit of my stomach. But what did I have to feel guilty for? Scorpius wasn't my friend, wasn't a confidant that I had ever run to. Not that I had run to _any _confidants recently. Before now, I wouldn't have even qualified him as a friendly acquaintance. I felt as if I had to make him at least that, now. I'd fainted in his arms for Merlin's sake!

I let the breath I had been holding all out in a great whoosh, disturbing the silence of the bathroom. I startled myself, what with how nervous I was. I couldn't tell him what had happened anyway. What could he do? What Albus and James would have done if I had told them? What my parents would have done? What my girlfriends would have done? I ran through the scenarios in my head. What the outcomes would've been. I wasn't happy with any of them. All of them ended with someone close to me getting hurt. I couldn't have that.

Then I contemplated the outcome of telling Malfoy. He couldn't really do _much_. And why would me being hurt harm him in any way? No one would believe that I told him anything about it. Nobody in their right mind would think that I would even breathe a whisper of a word to him about that night…

Maybe I could finally tell someone.

The possibility of getting everything out in the open made a small flame of hope flicker inside me.

But it also made me feel the deep bite of fear down in my gut.

I felt my lungs beginning to constrict again. I tried to take deep breaths, but controlling panic attacks wasn't really my forte. I'd considered going to Madam Pomfrey for a potion or some sort of medication, but she would've had to tell my parents. I didn't like that idea in the least. And something would've somehow leaked to the press about it. Our family was high profile even before mum became Minister of Magic.

There was a chance that Malfoy wouldn't even believe me. That he would laugh in my face and think I was telling him this for attention, or for him to give me more leniency when it came to my sleeping habits. I didn't know if I could put that as being below him. I didn't even know if I could put that below some of my friends. I was too afraid to trust anyone.

Or he could think that it had been my choice, but that I regretted it, so now I was making myself the victim. He could end up thinking that I was a dirty, disgusting, lying whore. There was a chance of that, even though in the back of my mind I knew it was small.

There was also that fact that he would turn me into a person he pitied. The kind that you treated as porcelain dolls, the sort that you made small, sympathetic sounds when you were listening to their sob story, the type that would forever be the tragedy that happened to them; the people who were only talked about and almost never to. I didn't want to be that person.

No one deserved to be that person.

Even after thinking all of the bad possibilities through, I still wanted someone else to know.

Once my breathing became somewhat better, I made up my mind. I was tired of living this half life, lying to everyone I loved. Maybe I could handle it if a person, just _one_ person, could know. I steeled myself, opening the bathroom door that led to his room.

I hadn't been in his room before. Everything was organized, neat, and clean, but was bare of knick knacks. There weren't any mementos except for a few scattered pictures of a smiling woman, one with a smiling man, most likely Draco Malfoy, next to her. I guessed that they were happy. They looked happy. The photo nearest his bed, sitting on a nightstand, held them as a family standing in front of the Eiffel Tower. They were all laughing in that one.

The coverlet on his four poster bed was a deep, silken emerald and the pillow covers were a rich black. I was tempted to fall into the depths of an armchair nestled in the corner of the room, it looked so comfortable. I breathed in. The room smelled of him; sandalwood and ink from the quills and his own attractive musk. I breathed deeply, momentarily enjoying it, then shook myself, wondering why I had even noticed that. I spotted him standing at a desk placed against the wall, not bothering with the chair, hunched over a stack of papers. His desk was the only thing that showed a sign of clutter.

I almost didn't want to disturb him; he looked so deep in thought. But I felt that he had a right to at least a small explanation. And I had already made up my mind.

"Scorpius." His first name popped out before I could help myself. He looked over his shoulder. I hadn't known that he wore glasses. They suited him. I saw the surprise in his eyes before he turned around from his work. I spotted layout plans for something or other before he blocked them, not purposely.

"Rose." I guess we were on a first name basis now. He raised an eyebrow and my name was the only thing to ring around the room for a few moments.

"I-I… I thought that…" The words got stuck in my throat. He probably thought I was a nutter. Or he would, if he didn't already. And I didn't know if I would blame him

"Rose, you really don't have to tell me anything. I meant that." I could see the sincerity in his eyes

"I know that." I swallowed the lump in my throat. "But do you even want to hear about it? We're not exactly… We don't really do this." I moved my hand back and forth between us, trying to communicate what I meant. He still didn't say anything. I sighed and gave in, sinking down into the plush green armchair I'd spied earlier. He grabbed the previously forgotten chair and moved it closer to me. He swung it around and straddled it, resting his forearms on the back.

I closed my eyes then, not wanting to see any reaction that he had to me; whether it was revulsion, pity, sympathy, understanding, contempt, dispassion… I just didn't want to see it. I prayed to anything that could be listening that he wouldn't interrupt. If I was stopped I didn't know if I could start again.

"I told you before that they had happened before." I hoped he knew what I was referring to. I didn't want to call my panic attacks by name in that moment. "But I didn't tell you why they happened. I didn't tell you because… I didn't tell you that I was…" I didn't know how to just outright say it. I buried my face in my hands.

* * *

"Do you remember last year, when Gryffindor won the final quidditch match against Slytherin?" My voice was muffled against my hands. I didn't doubt that he remembered, he was on the team, but I didn't wait for confirmation. "There was a party. Afterwards, in the common room. There was beer, and fire whiskey, and potions. Maybe even some muggle drugs, I don't know. Loads of things that you could get messed up on. Even mess other people up on, if you were that cruel. And nobody was regulating it, not even me, Miss no-nonsense-prefect. I just wanted to be normal. For _once_ I didn't want to follow the rules. Just for one bloody night, I wanted to have some fun." My hands were gripping fistfuls of hair. I hadn't realized until I tugged painfully on a clump.

"I should've been the good girl. I should've reported the party." I said this almost as an aside to myself. I could feel the tears finally welling up, the pain of holding them back cutting deep into my chest. But I wouldn't cry. Not in front of Scorpius. Not when I didn't know how he would react. "And _he_ was there, _right_ there. And I'd liked him for so long, and I wasn't right with all of the alcohol in me." I felt a tear leak down my cheek. I swiped it away, hoping he hadn't noticed.

"I just wanted-"

"Rose! Rose Weasley! You have some explaining to do missy!" I was launched to my feet and my eyes flew open at the sound of footsteps and Dominique's voice. I cleared my throat and scrubbed at my cheeks hurriedly, trying to make them tear-free.

"I'll be down in a minute!" I called. My voice sounded off, even to my own ears. I started towards the door, trying to put on my best smile. A hand grabbed my wrist. I flinched, but didn't turn around.

"Rose, you don't have to go out there. Not now." His voice sounded pained. I heard the chair scrape the hardwood floor as he stood, the chair creaking with the absence of weight.

"They'll know something's wrong if I don't go." I knew that he had already guessed at what had happened. But I still hadn't been able to get all of the words out. The words that had been clawing at my insides for so long.

"I can take care of it." With that, I looked back at him. I looked into his eyes. When I did, I knew something in our relationship had changed. I saw that he cared about me. And not in the way a bystander cares about someone in a car wreck. It was in a way that I hadn't thought possible for him to care about me.

This scenario wasn't one that I had even remotely anticipated.

"You can't take care of this." I whispered. I cursed myself as the tears flowed freely.

"Just… just let me try to help." When I didn't say anything he let go of my wrist and walked out the door. I stood, completely frozen. I heard murmurings, something about working on a project, and then he was back. He walked right up to me, his eyes sweeping over my tear stained face.

"Rose, talk to me. I'll listen if you want to tell me. If it will help you to tell me."

And I had thought telling him would help me. I thought that getting it off my chest would make some of the pain go away. Now… I wasn't so sure. I hadn't truly gotten into it earlier. I had barely told him anything at all.

"Nothing will help." My voice didn't sound like my voice. It was cold, numbed, emotionless.

"Maybe it will." I don't know why his words made me break.

"He was one of Albus' friends. He still is. I thought I knew him. And I liked him so much, for so long. Since third year, when we'd had him over during the holidays. He ate dinner with us. He made my whole family fall in love with him, trust him. He was the last person," I hiccupped with a sob. "I n-never thought that h-he would h-hurt me like this."

"Rose, who was it?" He tentatively touched my shoulders with his fingertips. I tried to hold back the shiver it caused, but I knew he noticed since he pulled back slightly.

I didn't know if I should tell him. But the name came clattering out before I could close my mouth. "Liam Bray." I could tell through the way he tensed that he was restraining himself from walking out that door. His face was stoic, but his eyes flickered towards the door. I kept talking before he could make the decision to leave. I moved my eyes away from his face.

"Everyone was drunk. There were a few students from other houses, even. Albus and Liam came over. I could tell that Albus was sloshed; he never could resist fire whiskey at a party. We shouted to each other over the music. I don't even remember when Albus left. I only had eyes for him." My voice sounded so blunt in my ears. How could I be so forward about this? From then on, the words came like a flood.

"He asked me if I wanted to go upstairs, to get away from the noise of the party so we could just talk. I took him to the dorm that I lived in. I was surprised that no one else was there. I didn't think anything of it when he locked the door with his wand and put a silencing charm on it. Why would I? He was a friend; I was supposed to be safe with him. I don't think that the alcohol helped me think straight either. He turned around and smiled. He walked over to me. When he kissed me, I thought I was the luckiest girl in the world. I thought that he just thought of me as his best friend's cousin. I never thought he would want to kiss _me_." I let out a laugh that was anything but humorous.

"It felt okay at first, but then he got grabby. It started to feel strange. I didn't like him all over me. I tried to push him away once his hands started to drift upwards under my shirt. For a second, I thought he was pulling away. Then… then he grabbed my arms and pinned them to my sides." My breathing hitched and my chest contracted painfully. But I had to get through this. I had to be free.

"He kissed me again. I never thought kissing could hurt, but it did. He bit my lip and I could taste the blood. When he pushed me onto my bed, he let my arms go. I scrabbled for my wand. I had it in my hand. But he hit me. Right here." My hand reached up to trace the right side of my jaw. I let it drop back to my side. "That hurt worse than the biting."

"He called me something, but I was too busy seeing stars to hear him. I felt him unbuckle his belt, then mine. He ripped off my pants. I tried kicking him. I tried so hard to get away. I punched and kicked and flailed and even bit his shoulder. But he was stronger. He didn't even have to use magic. He just laid on top of me to pin me down. He ripped off my underwear next. I wanted to throw up when I heard his pants unzip. I hoped I would. But I didn't."

"And then… and then he was inside me. I thought breaking my leg when I was nine was one of the worst pains I'd ever feel. I was wrong. So, _so_ wrong." I closed my eyes now, remembering the burning, piercing pain every time he would thrust. The way he grabbed at my breasts under my shirt and squeezed hard enough to leave dark purple bruises. The deep, constant pain in my gut for days afterwards, even with the magic I used to heal myself. The way that just the simple task of walking straight hurt like hell. "I screamed, but no one could hear me. After he was done, he just left me there. I ran to the bathroom, hoping no one would find me. I sat in there for hours. But no one came. No one looked for me. No one noticed that I was gone."

"Even the next morning, no one noticed. Sure, I put on a brave face. I tried to not let them see. I didn't want to hurt my friends, my family. I didn't want them to hurt even half as much as I was. But… no one saw me, Scorpius. _No one saw me_."

With that, I was done. But I felt anything but free.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N**** I am so so so so sorry about the long wait for this. I had to go through some emotional crap after I wrote the last chapter. I'm through it, thankfully, so *drumroll* here's the next chapter!**

**~Lunatastic**

* * *

**Scorpius:**

"But… no one saw me, Scorpius. _No one saw me_." She whispered the last part so quietly I could barely hear the words slip past her lips. She was silent after that, her mouth half-open and slack. I don't think she even noticed the flood of tears rushing down her face and pit-pattering against the floor. Her her head. She held her hands stiffly over her heart, as if they could keep it from becoming anymore damaged.

I didn't know what to say or what to do. This strong girl that I had cared so much for and for so long, though she didn't know it, had just shattered in front of my eyes. I could practically see the tape and glue holding the pieces of her shaking body together. Half of me just ached to walk out that door and hex Liam within an inch of death. To beat him to a pulp and make him pay for what he had done to Rose. To make sure he could never again do to another girl what he had done to her. Maybe even kill him, no matter what the consequences were.

But the other half… the other half longed for me to gather Rose up in my arms. To hold her and comfort her and squeeze her tight and never let her go. For me to make sure that she could never be hurt again. For me to make all of her hurt go away. But I knew that wasn't what she wanted. What she needed. She had flinched eyes glazed over and she stared, seeing nothing. Or maybe she was seeing the memories flashing through away from my fingertips, so I didn't know what anything more would make her do.

Her body jerked slightly, and I saw reality return to her eyes. She let out a low moan that made my heart clench and sunk slowly to the floor. She stuck her head in between her knees and rocked back and forth. Merlin, I didn't know what to do. All I could do without scaring her was sit down next to her and listen to her soft whimpers.

At first, her low mumblings were incomprehensible. She strung together syllables with no meaning. I just stared at her forlornly, my vision blurred, feeling like a complete prat. Her whimpers slowly faded into nothing and her tears faded to sniffles.

She finally looked up at me pleadingly, her eyes dry but the evidence of her tears written plainly across her face. "I'm sorry. I'm _so _sorry." She whispered.

I was bewildered. "Why are you sorry? The person who should be sorry is the bastard that did this to you." Her eyes grew shiny again and she swiped at them with her fingers. She looked up at the ceiling and her breathing hitched.

She mumbled something that I couldn't hear. "What did you say, Rose?" I tried to speak gently.

"_It was my fault_." I was surprised by the ferocity of her wail. She collapsed back, her arms and legs splayed out.

She was the most defeated little creature I'd ever laid eyes on.

I didn't know how she had kept up her facade for this long. Anger bubbled up in my stomach at her friends for not noticing her distress. They were with her almost constantly, how could they be so clueless, so absorbed into their own lives that they had neglected her. Even her own family hadn't cared enough to notice over the summer. I shuddered at the idea of her, broken and alone in so many ways, surrounded by her otherwise happy family for so long.

But I was also furious with myself; I should've seen something, anything, that pointed to her pain, even in the short times we had been together.

She kept repeating herself. I scooped her up off of the floor and laid her on the bed. Her skin burned feverishly under my hands. Fear sparked in me as I moved my arms from under her and took in the sight of her flushed skin. I pressed her fiery curls back from her face and gripped her head firmly in my hands. I looked into her eyes, though I could tell that her mind wasn't completely lucid.

"This isn't your fault, Rose. Blaming yourself isn't the answer." The fever had taken her quickly and her skin was covered with the light sheen of sweat.

"But she's dead. How could that not be my fault?" Her speaking of someone's death alarmed me. Had Liam done this to another girl, but killed her that time? She moaned and clutched her hands against her stomach, curling her body around them. "My Emma. My little Emma." She breathed. I couldn't recall anyone by the name of Emma that had ever attended Hogwarts, and I chalked it up to hallucinations from her fever. "I loved her so much." She choked out.

"Rose, try to rest. Please, for me." I sighed and moved away from the bed, intending to sit in the chair. She gripped my wrist tightly.

"Don't leave." Her voice was desperate and fear laid in her eyes.

"I won't. I'll be right here." My reassurance seemed to calm her as her eyelids slipped closed and she fell into unconsciousness.

* * *

_She was one of the last to step off the train and onto the platform, dragging her bag unceremoniously behind her. The wheels clicked against the bricks. Rose could hear her name being called from somewhere in the crowd. She cringed internally everytime someone knocked accidentally against her. She flinched violently as her parents rushed at her, seemingly out of nowhere. Their arms felt threatening, like she was trapped; she hadn't expected to feel so much fear from the two people who had known her since before she was born, but she couldn't help it as her throat tightened and heart beat rapidly in her chest._

_Ron squeezed her tighter before he clumsily set her down on the bricks. He ruffled her hair beneath his hand; he knew she hated it. "Dad!" Rose groaned, knowing that he would expect that reaction. She had to make her front believable if she didn't want them to find out._

_"I'm just happy to have you back, Rosie." He grinned almost manically, happy to have his two children home for the summer. His hand locked on Hugo's shoulder as he gazed at the two of them proudly. He hadn't noticed the way that she froze when he innocently ruffled her hair again, or the way that her hands clenched tighter to the handle on her suitcase when he called her Rosie, or the way her jaw would tic slightly everytime someone would bumb into her shoulder or her leg as they hurried by._

_"How were your last few months, darling?" Hermione interjected. She hadn't seen Hugo or Rose since Easter, and even then she hadn't been able to spend much time with them. Her duties to the Ministry had her running about all over the place and having to leave her family multiple times curing the break. She had missed them dearly. Even Hermione, the Minister of Magic and the brightest witch of her age, didn't notice how her daughter hesitated before a smile came upon her face._

_"They were good, mum." Rose said, lying through her teeth. Her breathing was beginning to tighten and her fingers were beginning to numb. She begged silently to herself to calm. "Everything was pretty normal, for once." She joked. _

_"Rose! Hugo! How are my darling niece and nephew?" Ginny walked up, Harry trailing behind her. Rose spotted Albus and James shoving each other playfully in the background, Lily grimacing at their behavior._

_"They were great!" Hugo said enthusiastically. "I got the top marks in most of my classes." He said proudly, always the ravenclaw._

_"That's my boy! Thank Merlin both of you got your mother's brains. And my dazzling looks." He brinned cheekily as Hermione smacked him on the shoulder. Rose flinched again at the sound._

_"You alright there, Rose?" Harry asked from where he had his arm wrapped around his wife's shoulder._

_"Yeah. Just got the chills, is all." She offered up the excuse lamely. She could still se concern in her uncle's eyes as he nodded, but was grateful when he didn't push the subject._

_"Let's all go to my house, shall we? Get out of this blasted crowd." Ginny asked, though it was more of an order. As everyone rushed towards the entrance, Rose trailing behind them, Harry caught her shoulder. Rose froze, fearing that it he knew everything. But how could he? No, it was just her fear making her jump to conclusions._

_"Are you sure you're okay, Rose?" She couldn't stand the heat from his hand on her shoulder. She withdrew from his grip quickly._

_"Yes, Uncle Harry. I'll be fine." He didn't seem to notice the inflection of her words. _

_She only hoped that what she said would turn out to be true._

* * *

**Rose:**

Heat clutched greedily at me and I could feel sweat slicking my skin. The dull red of my eyelids was the only thing I could see, since I couldn't manage to open them. My clothes and a thin sheet clung to me, making me feel sticky. I didn't feel entirely _there_ and my mind was befuddled. In my confusion, I kicked off the sheet and tried to wrestle off my shirt. Strong hands restained mine. "Rose, stop." Someone whispered. I could only assume that the voice belonged with the hands. It sparked something warm and familiar within my stomach. I stopped struggling for a moment.

"Too hot." I whimpered. My throat burned uncomfortably as I sucked in a breath.

A cool cloth pressed to my forehead. I sighed gratefully at the small comfort as I opened my eyes halfway. My vision swum in and out of focus, but I spotted piercing blue eyes and a shock of blonde hair. I tried to recall a name, but it floated just out of reach. I could feel myself growing frustrated as my eyelids slipped back closed.

My lungs burned everytime I tried to suck in a breath. I turned onto my side and curled into a ball as I began to cough uncontrollably. I heard quickened footsteps cross the room, the turn of a doorhandle, the rush of water from a faucet, and the footsteps cross back to me, then I was dragged into a sitting position.

A cool hand grasped my neck gently and a glass pressed to my lips. I sucked down the soothing moisture. I tried to claw through the thick layer of drowsiness and befuddlement that pressed down on me. The water seemed to help, though my limbs were still weak. I opened my eyes fully this time. They widened in surprise when I saw Scorpius bent over me, eyes brimming with concern.

I don't know what came over me. I don't know if it was just that I was happy to _finally _have someone know, or if it was the fact that he seemed to care, but a feeling I hadn't expieriened in a long time rushed up within me. I practically flung myself at him as my arms encircled his neck. My weight and his surprise pulled him down beside me on the bed. He tensed beneath my touch, but wrapped his arms gently around my back after a moment.

It was the first time I had been able to willingly hug someone ever since that night.

He pulled me tighter and nuzzled his nose into my hair. I was puzzled as to why I wasn't panicking, why I felt so safe in his arms when I hadn't felt a smidgeon of comfort and nothing but fear in anyone else's, but I nudged my confusion aside and huddled closer into his warmth.

"I don't know why you did, but... thank you, for being here. For listening. For everything." We had turned from almost enimies to what I believed to be friendship in the quick flip of a hat.

"I did what anyone would've done, Rose."

"Not everyone would've stayed." All he did was sigh, but it sounded almost happy.

"Your friends are looking for you, you know. I kicked them out of the common room and changed the password. They're probably figuring out ways to break down the door right now." A loud clanging that sounded from the common room just seemed to prove his point.

"I don't want to talk to them." All of my walls were down. I didn't know if I could continue to lie to them if they saw me like this.

"You don't have to." He said. And I knew that. But I couldn't help the guilt that radiated through me as another harsh bang clattered against the entrance to our rooms. I sighed and slipped regretfully out of his embrace. I stumbled down the stairs, still a little groggy and flushed with a higher temperature than usual. I could feel him trailing behind me as I pushed open a protrait. I backed out of the way as people flooded in. Zara, Dominique, and Albus looked furious, but Melissa, Cassandra, and Johnny just looked annoyed at the others' behavior.

"What in the bloody hell have you two been doing, holed up in here for a day and a half?!" I almost startled at that piece of information. I hadn't realized that I'd been out for that long. I quickly threw up a smile.

"You know, homework, heads' stuff, some heavy snogging sessions. The usual." I looked to Scorpius and felt relief when he played along, a cheeky grin enveloping his face, though I saw concern in his eyes when they flashed briefly to mine.

Albus growled in annoyance, but Zara cut him off before he could say anything. "You gave us a right scare, you idiot. Rushing away from breakfast and then dissapearing for hours." She scolded. I felt a bit cornered as six pairs of eyes peered either curiously or angrily at me.

"Maybe she just needed a break from you lot." Scorpius chipped in. His hand brushed my lower back reassuringly and at an angle that they couldn't see.

Albus pushed by me and stood toe to toe with Scorpius. "Why should you care, _Malfoy_?" Scorpius' eyes glistened with anger. Both of them drew their wands. I was panicking but tried to keep my coolness on the outside.

I pushed against Albus' chest. "Albus, stop being a prat or I'll hex you from here 'till next Sunday." My voice was harsh in my ears and I heard Dominique make a distressed sound from behind me.

Albus looked down at me, bewildered. He laughed as he took a few steps back. "I don't know what in hell has gotten into you, Rose, ignoring your friends and family and then defending the likes of _that _prick. Come talk to me when you've actually aquired some sense." He snarled. With that, he stormed from the room. Johnny shrugged apologetically in my direction, but trailed after him.

Though Harry and Ginny had held no prejudice against the Malfoy's, they had, in fact, been the most forgiving after the war, Ron and their Grandfather had drilled caution and dislike, almost hatred, so deeply into Albus, Dominique, and the rest of my cousins that that fact didn't matter.

Zara shoved me and I stumbled back into Scorpius. "What the fuck, Rose?!" I should've predicted her siding with Albus, since she had been in love with him since practically forever. It still stung though.

"Zara!" Melissa shouted in disbelief and dragged a cursing Zara from the room. "I'm sorry, Rose." Melissa said sincerely. Dominique, fuming, followed the pair and slammed the portrait behind her. Cassandra was left in their wake, looking flabbergasted.

"Cassie, why don't you follow them. Wouldn't want them to be pissed with you, too."

"What if I don't want to follow them?" She asked cocking her head. I smiled genuinely and I knew she was subtly telling me that she was on my side and that she was here for me. She was the best friend that I was least closest to, but was showing me the most love.

"Then I guess you'll just have to stay here." She took he book bag from over her shoulder and slung it down on the couch.

"I brought new reading material. Muggle stuff this time. Do you know who Shakespeare is?" She settled down next to her bookbag and ushered me over, she began to blab about poetry and forbidden love.

Scorpius came up behind me before I could walk over to Cassandra. 'We can talk later." His breath whispered against my neck and made me shiver, but not from fright.

"Okay." I whispered back, then went to listen to her gush about her muggle fiction. When I looked up, Scorpius was gone from the room.

* * *

**A/N**** Sorry about the semi-crap ending, but I didn't particularly know how else to end it. Once again, sorry about the wait and I promise that I will update a lot more frequently from now on. But I wanted to warn you that my school starts in a few weeks, so the updates may not be as frequent for about a week or so, but then they'll pick up again. Please, please review guys. It's what keeps me going.**

**~Lunatastic**


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